Costa
Rica Travel Information

Parrot Bay Village on
The Osa Peninsula.
We would like to invite you to explore one of Costa
Rica's last frontier's and many traveler's favorite
destination.

What to Bring:

Passport and driver license.

Currently the US CDC does not have any vacination
notices.

US cell phones don't work in Costa Rica even though
guests said they have international calling , but
yours just might?

Lap top if you must be connected. Parrot Bay Village
has wireless service as do some hotels in San Jose.

When traveling to Costa Rica or any other destination,
make sure to always have on hand a list of emergency
telephone numbers such as person or transportation
company, hotel or friends you will be visiting.

Camera, charger and cable to download pictures.

Hat and sunglasses for shore.

A light, long sleeved shirt.

Sneakers, hikers or what you like best for soft,
wet terrain.

Deck shoes if fishing

Sandals

Sunscreen and bug replellent

Personal gear: International airline carriers weight
limit on luggage is now two 50 pound suit cases and
$20 more for 20 more pounds.

National airline company Nature Air, allows one
30 pound bag and a small carry-on and charges $1 per
pound over.

US money is accepted everywhere and current exchange
rate, Sept 2006, is $1= 550 colon.

Fishermen: Fly fishing gear if you Fly, a favorite
rod is nice to have but if you do not care to bother
carring a rod just bring the reel and we will fit
to one of our rods.

Emergency Lines
- 911 from any telephone in the central
valley (San José, Cartago, Heredia, Alajuela).
While this service is not fully operative in the provinces
of Guanacaste, Limón and Puntarenas, dialing
it will redirect your call to the nearest hospital or
police station. The service offers a bilingual operator
24 hours a day.

Costa Rica's socialized medical system has been extremely
successful at keeping the diseases that plague most
tropical countries. Through a system of education and
preventive medicine, Costa Ricans enjoy a life expectancy
comparable to that of North Americans. Such health standards
is one of the reasons that visitors feel so comfortable
in Costa Rica.

If you do happen to need medical attention,
first rate care is available at any of Costa Rica's
public hospitals and private clinics. You can even pay
with your credit card at private clinics in San José.

Entering Costa Rica
Citizens holding valid passports from the following
countries are permitted to stay in Costa Rica for 90
days without a visa:
There is no entrance tax but there is a $27 pp exit
tax that is paid at Santa Maria International Airport
in San Jose.

Argentina

Austria

Belgium

Brazil

Canada

Denmark

Finland

France and dependencies

Germany

Greece

Hungary

Holland and dependencies

Israel

Italy

Japan

Liechtenstein

Luxembourg

Norway

Panama

Paraguay

Poland

Portugal

Puerto Rico

Romania

South Korea

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Trinidad & Tobago

United Kingdom

United States of America

Uruguay

Costa Rica, located in Central America,
is an isthmus where life seems to have created its roots.
Covering only 0.03% of the surface of our planet, Costa
Rica has approximately 6% of the world's biodiversity.
Costa Rica is characterized by impressive scenic beauty,
a consolidated system of protected areas, social and
political stability, high educational levels, and efficient
infrastructure and services. All of this offered in
a territory of only 51 thousand square kilometers, surrounded
by both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, at a distance
from each other of only three to four hours by land
or 45 minutes by air.

History Clip

For more than 12,000 years, different indigenous groups
such as the Chorotega inhabited the lush territory,
which now makes up Costa Rica. In 1502, during his fourth
voyage, Christopher Columbus arrived in the village
of Cariari (now Puerto Limon) and encountered natives
swathed in Gold Jewelry. It is said that he named the
land Costa Rica (translated in English: Rich Coast)
because of the promise of gold. However, it was not
until 1560 that the first Spanish settlement, consisting
mainly of adventurous pioneers, was established.

Then in 1821, along with the rest of
the Central American countries, Costa Rica declared
its independence from Spain. Coffee and banana cultivation
became the countries most important economic activities
and main source of income. In 1948 the country abolished
its military, investing its scarce resources in education
and public health instead. This contributed to the country's
remarkable social indicators, especially literacy rates
and life expectancy. Today, more than 25 percent of
the country territory is protected as National Parks
and a main attraction for visitors from all over the
world. Eco tourists, adventure tourists, nature lovers,
birdwatchers and researchers come to Costa Rica to enjoy
its great biodiversity and natural beauty. Furthermore,
the country has beautiful beaches and active volcanoes
and hot springs that attract tourist looking for relaxation.

Costa Rica Today on the Osa Peninsula

The Osa Peninsula is home to the famous Corcovado National
Park and the Golfo Dulce that have been described as
some of the world's most biologically intense places
in the world. On the Osa Peninsula, you will most likely
see more wildlife and rainforest than in any other place
in Costa Rica. And besides rainforest adventures, you
can engage in dolphin and whale watching excursions
and experience some of the world's best Sport fishing.

Use Puerto Jimenez as your base to explore this exciting
Costa Rican destination. Puerto Jimenez can be reached
by rental car, public bus, and ferry and daily domestic
flights. The reservations department at Parrot Bay Village
will be happy to assist you with your travel arrangements.
Just send us an e-mail to: mail@parrotbayvillage.com.